Michael Karman

Another excellent addition

Revisado: 01-14-25

Great storytelling & pacing as the narrator flips between underground revolutionary conspiracy and doled out discoveries of an alien planet with a fascinating ecosystem. Reminds me a bit of the Lamarckian evolution in Greg Bear's Legacy. One has to wonder if something about the current state of affairs was plucking at the back of the authors mind while he wrote a book about an uprising against a fascist regime that was bullheadedly destroying all life on a planet under the guise of "progress," but in the interview at the end he doesn't mention it.

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Another excellent novel from one of my favorite authors

Revisado: 10-09-24

I'm always pleased when I get to come back around to Greg Bear. I devoured a dozen of his books in my 20s (starting with Eon) and I was pleasantly surprised to see this available with my subscription for free. Don't know how I missed this for all these years. His typical attention to detail,engaging characters and storytelling

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A good time that leans into some familiar tropes

Revisado: 08-29-24

Interesting take on immortality and how to fill the lonely expanse of time and space. would be surprised if the author wasn't heavily inspired by the Bobiverse series or vice versa, a lot of the same themes crop up in both. If you're a fan of one and are hungry for more, the other is your next stop.

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Fantastic and original

Revisado: 07-27-24

It is so refreshing to find good, original fantasy that isn't trying to lure you into a ten book series. Doubly so is the fact that it is an old man's story- a man wracked with grief at the loss of his wife and estrangement from his children, thinking about the final phase of his life, finding himself at the center of a conspiracy in a magical world he never knew existed. Performance is great, the storytelling is lovely. One of my favorite of the year.

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Excellent on all counts

Revisado: 12-21-23

A very novel take on the haunting/haunted house genre and an excellent job by the narrator. His voice perfectly amplifies and paces the slowly weaving story of a homecoming to a home that is not at all welcoming or happy, and a through-the-garden-door adventure into darkness.

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Excellent woodsy horror

Revisado: 02-24-23

We need more Irish folk horror in our stories these days. Huge fan of this setting and the narrator was a delight to listen to. If you like movies like The Hallow or tv like FROM this will hit the perfect spot for you. Only slightly disappointed that the authors second book despite similar book jackets does not appear to be the sequel this seemed to be building to.

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great conclusion to the trilogy

Revisado: 03-14-22

I really appreciate it when an author knows exactly what story they want to tell, goes with the trilogy format, and tells a great story without leaving loose threads ganging everywhere. Warbound wraps up the primary story arc neatly while taking the time to introduce fully realized new characters and still spend enough time with the old to build them out and give them closure. Would love to see an extended epilogue with little one-liner "where are they now" updates for the main characters.

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Great magic noir

Revisado: 02-20-22

Really enjoyed the unique magic system and the way the world building was slowly teased out. The author doles out bits of how world history changed due to magic appearing on the scene and leaves it to you to slowly assemble how different this timeline is from our own. Likeable characters and a solid "11th hour confession" style "villain," perfect tropes for the time period.

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Tough to review

Revisado: 09-14-21

I'm not sure what to say about this, because my opinion waxed and waned as it progressed. Initially I hated it, and I thought it was maybe the fault of the voice acting, because the protagonist is one of the most unlikable people I've ever been trapped inside the head of. I referred to it as "the adventures of the most unpleasant woman in space" to my family. Then I realized that as it went on, the narrator was perfectly capable of giving nuanced, thoughtfully paced dialog to other characters, so the harsh clipped tones / "rat in a maze" feeling of the main character must have been intentional choices, which meant that it was actually a great performance. The entire time you feel stressed out, anxious, like the entire crew genuinely hates you and you hate being there. It's a great job but still makes for unenjoyable listening.

I really enjoyed the end of the book, which felt like a space that not too many books have explored, and I wish it had spent more time exploring those concepts. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy the act of getting there. The protagonist is a seething mass of contradictions: a ship psychologist who doesn't understand and frankly dislikes people, who volunteered for a mission but hates being on it, and who resents her obligations to the crew. If the author intends for you to be sympathetic toward her, she manages to sabotage it with nearly every interaction. In that way it's a lot like watching a horror movie where the characters always do the opposite of what you're yelling at the screen.

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esto le resultó útil a 8 personas

Unexpected but excellent continuation

Revisado: 10-04-20

I love the Bobiverse, and perhaps even more when authors set out to write trilogies that always end for a good wrap-up. I was surprised and also worried to see the sudden appearance of a fourth book- what if it wasn't as thoughtful, as intentionally paced, etc? fears were assuaged almost immediately. Book 4 is an excellent start to what I hope is a new trio of books to continue this fantastic universe.

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